REVIEW of BY STRANGERS MOURNED by J.R. LINDERMUTH

 

I recently read BY STRANGERS MOURNED by JOHN LINDERMUTH (writing as J.R. LINDERMUTH.) I liked it very much and my four star review, on Amazon.co.uk and Goodreads, is below.

I’d forgotten how many other blogs I’ve done about John’s other fine novels. He has written across genres, from thrillers to period mysteries to westerns. So after my BY STRANGERS MOURNED review, I include links to those other blogs, and some reviews of the novels featured.

Here’s the blurb for BY STRANGERS MOURNED:

'Spring is usually heralded as a time of renewal, not murder.

Preparations are underway in the spring of 1899 for the wedding of Deputy Cyrus Gutshall. Sheriff Tilghman is hopeful this will put his sweetheart Lydia Longlow in the marital mood.

But then a woman is found drowned in a local creek.

Doc Mariner's autopsy reveals the woman is a victim of foul play. The sheriff’s investigation soon puts him on the trail of a mysterious man named Bauer and a gang preying on young immigrant women.

One of the women escapes her captors and comes to their small town in search of help. A coal miner she encounters, a fellow Pole, brings her to Tilghman and helps translate the story of her ordeal. The girl is befriended and sheltered by a coworker of Lydia's, an act of kindness that puts both young women in danger.

Sylvester Tilghman will need all his detecting skills and the help of his friends to unravel the many skeins of the case before he can dream again of marriage.'

Here’s some Pennsylvania policemen c. late 1890s:

And here’s my review:

‘Warm, engaging and convincing period crime novel.

I’ve read some of J. R. Lindermuth’s fine westerns but this is the first time I’ve read one of his police/crime novels, the third of a series featuring Syl (short for Sylvester) Tilghman. It’s 1899. Syl is sheriff in a Pennsylvania town. A woman is found drowned in a nearby creek, and foul play is suspected (even the possibility of witchcraft.) Syl’s investigations put him on the trail of a ruthless gang of human traffickers who are bringing in women from Eastern Europe and selling them into prostitution. This isn’t an action-centric novel; instead Lindermuth focuses on character and atmosphere, painting a believable picture of police work in that time and place, replete with red herrings and false trails etc. His writing is conversational and very readable. It’s a book full of gentle humanity, of people who aren’t overtly heroic but still strive quietly to do the right thing, told with warmth and humour (Syl is particularly irked by the new-fangled telephone.) To paraphrase one of the characters: ‘Sometimes a little compassion goes a long way.’ Highly recommended.’

A Pennsylvania police badge from 1900

OTHER J.R. LINDERMUTH NOVELS:

As mentioned, BY STRANGERS MOURNED is third in a series featuring Syl Tilghman, sheriff of a Pennsylvania town in the late 1890s.

First in the series was FALLEN FROM GRACE.

Here’s some reviews of it:

‘Intriguing.’

‘The novel achieves a texture and richness that sets it apart.… Lindermuth's writing style is practiced and assured and always a pleasure to read.’

‘I enjoyed this entertaining historical mystery.’

‘Truly a treasure!’

Find my blog about FALLEN FROM GRACE here: https://andrewmcbrideauthor.blogspot.com/2018/10/author-favourites-fallen-from-grace-by.html 

Second in the series was SOONER THAN GOLD, of which reviewers said:

‘This is a sneaky, twisty, fun ride of a mystery.’

‘Characters are fun. The writing is superb with colorful descriptions and snappy dialogue.’

Find my blog about SOONER THAN GOLD here: https://andrewmcbrideauthor.blogspot.com/2018/10/author-favourites-sooner-than-gold-by-j.html 

WATCH THE HOUR is a stand-alone novel set in Pennsylvania in the 1870s. 

Snippets of some reviews:

 ‘All the earmarks of the epic… Wonderfully tactile descriptions.’

 ‘With Lindermuth's usual depth of characters and story… an exciting, well-wrought read.’

‘An intriguing cast of characters and richly detailed settings bring this work of historical fiction to life.’

 

Here’s my blog about WATCH THE HOUR:  https://andrewmcbrideauthor.blogspot.com/2018/08/author-favourites-watch-hour-by-jr.html

SHARES THE DARKNESS is part of the ‘STICKS’ HETRICK series, a thriller set in a small town in modern-day Pennsylvania.

 

From reviews of SHARES THE DARKNESS:

‘Colorful characters, some surprises and twists, nice touches of wry humor, all served up with crisp dialogue and the clear, straightforward narrative of a talented writer.’

‘J.R. Lindermuth uses great foreshadowing and strong dialogue to promote a strong story line.…’

‘The excitement of the hunt has a kind of hushed tension.’ 

Find my blog about SHARES THE DARKNESS here: https://andrewmcbrideauthor.blogspot.com/2018/08/author-favourites-shares-darkness-by-j.html

And John has also written some excellent stand-alone westerns, such as BLAKE’S RULE, THE TITHING HERD and GERONIMO MUST DIE.

Here’s a bit of my review of BLAKE’S RULE: ‘One reason J. R. Lindermuth’s westerns are worth reading is that he always provides unusual twists to what is a very familiar form. … Out-of-the-blue twists – the intervention of a swarm of bees, a train wreck – keep things surprising in a brisk, entertaining novel.’

OTHER REVIEWERS of BLAKE’S RULE:

‘A good western, a romance, and a mystery.’

‘This latest work from John Lindermuth is a fine Western in the traditional mold, but with some intriguing twists and distinctions that make it a high cut above average… Lindermuth's effortlessly smooth prose moves along at a perfect pace, rich with historically accurate details yet never at the cost of interfering with a riveting tale.’

 Find my blog about BLAKE’S RULE here:  https://andrewmcbrideauthor.blogspot.com/2020/04/review-blakes-rule-by-j-r-lindermuth.html

A snippet of my review of THE TITHING HERD: ‘Unusual, satisfying western… Lindermuth handles the action expertly, but he’s just as good at creating tension, mood and atmosphere. A satisfying, enjoyable read.’

And of GERONIMO MUST DIE: ‘Thoughtful, intelligent, a western that’s also a mystery and a mood piece. An enjoyable, intriguing ride.’

Find BY STRANGERS MOURNED here: https://www.amazon.com/Strangers-Mourned-Sheriff-Tilghman-Book-ebook/dp/B09Z7GCX49?ref_=ast_author_dp 

and here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Strangers-Mourned-Sheriff-Tilghman-Book-ebook/dp/B09Z7GCX49/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

AUTHOR FAVOURITES: HOLMES ON THE RANGE by STEVE HOCKENSMITH

 STEVE HOCKENSMITH has written novels that are a hybrid of western and mystery, hybrids of horror and classic novels (‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls’) and a mix of mystery and magical. He’s also written short stories.

Several of Steve’s short stories have been nominated for awards in the mystery field. He won the Short Mystery Fiction Society's Derringer Award for ERIE'S LAST DAY, published in the May 2000 issue of ‘Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine.’  Other short stories were finalists for the Shamus Awards and the Anthony and Barry Awards.

His short story HIRED GUNS: MULE’S GOLD was, for me, one of the highlights of the SIX GUN JUSTICE PODCAST WESTERN STORIES anthology. From my review of this anthology: ‘HIRED GUNS: MULE’S GOLD is a stark outdoors tale of prospectors searching the harsh Sonora desert for an abandoned gold mine. Meanwhile, they’re being stalked by hidden enemies. Again this features terse, cinematic prose, with some laconic humour. It reads like the gritty first chapter of a novel (or a series) which I would be very happy to read.’

Find SIX GUN JUSTICE PODCAST WESTERN STORIES here: https://www.amazon.com/Six-Gun-Justice-Western-Stories-ebook/dp/B09CMV5GMH

and here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09CMV5GMH/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

Like many authors I’ve featured, Steve’s favourite of his own novels is his first one: HOLMES ON THE RANGE. He says: “I think it established everything I would try to bring to my later books: offbeat but likeable protagonists, lots of humour that's hopefully funny without undercutting the stakes, and an approach to genre tropes and expectations that's both irreverent and affectionate.”

This is the first instalment of a 6-part series. It was a finalist for the Shamus and the Anthony Awards for Best First Novel.

Montana, the 1890s. Two itinerant cowboy brothers, nicknamed Big Red and Old Red, are working on a ranch when they come across a dead body, killed in a particularly grisly fashion. Old Red has become obsessed with the stories of British detective SHERLOCK HOLMES. He's determined to catch the killer using Holmes' methods. Whether he likes it or not (and mostly he doesn't), Big Red is dragged along for the wild ride as his brother tries to "deducify" his way to the truth. But standing between them and a solution to the mystery are stampedes, rustlers, and a cannibal named “Hungry Bob” stalking the range.

Though not the first fictional detective, SHERLOCK HOLMES is arguably the best known. Holmes was created by Scottish author SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE (1859-1930.) Whole libraries have been devoted to analysing Holmes, so this is a very brief and not even remotely exhaustive take on a literary figure who has fascinated the world for almost 150 years. I’ve used Wikipedia for most of my information.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

First appearing in print in 1887's ‘A STUDY IN SCARLET’ the character's popularity became widespread with the first series of short stories in ‘The Strand Magazine,’ beginning with ‘A Scandal in Bohemia.’ in 1891. In total. Doyle wrote 4 novels and 56 short stories featuring Holmes. All but one are set between about 1880 and 1914.

Holmes as depicted in 1904

Referring to himself as a "consulting detective", Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and logical reasoning. Most of his adventures are narrated by his friend DOCTOR JOHN WATSON. Other re-occurring characters in the books include Holmes’ nemesis, the criminal mastermind, PROFESSOR MORIARTY.

At times Holmes smokes a pipe and wears a deerstalker hat; he is also a violin player and occasional cocaine and morphine user (both were legal in late Victorian Britain.) He lives at 221B Baker Street, London (an address that didn’t exist until the 1920s.)

Conan Doyle felt "my literary energies should not be directed too much into one channel” so in 1893 he killed off Holmes in a hand-to-fight with MORIARTY over the Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland; after a desperate struggle both men fell into the waterfall below. However, the public response, with distressed readers refusing to let Holmes die, was unprecedented. Conan Doyle received many protest letters, and one lady even began her letter to him with "You brute".

After resisting public pressure for 8 years, Conan Doyle brought Holmes back with perhaps his most famous adventure, ‘THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES.’ He would sporadically write new Holmes stories until 1927. In his last years, the reader is told that Holmes has retired to a small farm on the Sussex Downs and taken up beekeeping as his primary occupation.

Tying in with HOLMES ON THE RANGE, the very first Holmes novel, ‘A STUDY IN SCARLET’ has a western element, as part of it takes place in late 19^th Century Utah.

Conan Doyle repeatedly said that Holmes was inspired by the real-life figure of JOSEPH BELL, a surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh in Scotland, whom Conan Doyle met in 1877 and worked for. Like Holmes, Bell was noted for drawing broad conclusions from minute observations. Sir HENRY LITTLEJOHN, Chair of Medical Jurisprudence at the University of Edinburgh Medical School, is also cited as an inspiration for Holmes. Littlejohn, who was also Police Surgeon and Medical Officer of Health in Edinburgh, provided Conan Doyle with a link between medical investigation and the detection of crime.

Joseph Bell (1837-1911)

By the 1990s there were already over 25,000 stage adaptations, films, television productions and publications – including spin-off novels - featuring the detective. ‘Guinness World Records’ lists him as the most portrayed human literary character in film and TV history, having appeared on screen 254 times as of 2012. Many actors have also portrayed Sherlock Holmes in radio dramas and on stage.

The following have all had a crack at Holmes in one medium or another: Tom Baker, John Cleese, Benedict Cumberbatch, Robert Downey Jr., John Gielgud, Stewart Granger, Robert Hardy, Charlton Heston, Boris Karloff, Christopher Lee, Raymond Massey, Ian McKellen, Roger Moore, John Neville, Leonard Nimoy, Christopher Plummer, Robert Powell, Ian Richardson, Robert Stephens, Orson Welles and Nicol Williamson.

I particularly like portrayals by:

BASIL RATHBONE, in a series of 30s and 40s films. Here Doctor Watson is portrayed by NIGEL BRUCE as a bumbling comic foil (although he’s nothing like that in the books.)

Nigel Bruce and Basil Rathbone

PETER CUSHING in ‘THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES’ (1959) with ANDRÉ MORELL as Watson. (Cushing also portrayed Holmes in a TV series.)

André Morell and Peter Cushing

And JEREMY BRETT as Holmes in a British TV series that ran from 1984 to 1994.

Reviews of HOLMES ON THE RANGE:

"Delightfully offbeat." ‘Entertainment Weekly’

"Just when it seemed as if there were no more literary riches to be wrung from Sherlock Holmes, along comes Steve Hockensmith's inspired debut novel...The star of this tale is a fresh narrator's voice that whoops and hollers, dazzling the reader with colorful language, vivid images and hilarious asides. Sherlock Holmes in a Stetson turns out to be a dandy idea." ‘The Boston Globe’

"Sherlockians, Western fans and mystery lovers who enjoy their whodunits leavened with humor should all be delighted by Hockensmith's captivating debut." ‘Publishers Weekly’

 "HOLMES ON THE RANGE is a wonderful debut novel!’

 

Find HOLMES ON THE RANGE here: https://www.amazon.com/Holmes-on-the-Range-Mysteries-6-book-series/dp/B074CGRZ68?ref=dbs_m_mng_rwt_0000_ext

and here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0851Q2XXY/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

AUTHOR FAVOURITES: THE HOUSE ON CANDLEWICK LANE by AMY M. READE

USA Today bestselling author Amy M. Reade writes women's contemporary and gothic fiction. Her books have been compared to authors such as DAPHNE DU MAURIER, PHYLLIS WHITNEY and VICTORIA HOLT. Most recently, she’s been working on The Malice series, set in the United Kingdom.

Amy tells me her favourite of her own novels is THE HOUSE ON CANDLEWICK LANE.

Art historian Dr. Greer Dobbins is a Scot living in the USA when she experiences every parent's worst nightmare. Her daughter has been kidnapped by her ex-husband and spirited across the Atlantic to a hiding place in Edinburgh, Scotland. Greer follows but the medieval alleys of Edinburgh hide a thousand secrets. At the centre of things is the dark and forbidding house on Candlewick Lane. As the nightmare deepens, Greer herself will become a target, along with everyone she holds dear.

Edinburgh

In locating her story in Edinburgh, Amy is following in the tradition of writers as diverse as Robert Louis Stephenson (Kidnapped, Catriona) Muriel Spark (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie) Irving Welch (Trainspotting) and Ian Rankin in his Inspector Rebus novels.

Movies viewing different aspects of Edinburgh:

John Laurie and James MacArthur in ‘Kidnapped’ (1960)

Maggie Smith in ‘The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie’ (1969)

Ewan McGregor in ‘Trainspotting’ (1996)

And whilst Edinburgh is rightly celebrated as a place of vibrancy and culture, with its famous festival every August, there’s also been darkness in the city’s underbelly dating back to the sinister ‘body snatcher’ murderers William Burke and William Hare.

They committed 16 murders over a period of about ten months in 1828, then sold the corpses to Doctor Robert Knox for dissection at his anatomy lectures.

Burke was caught and hung in 1829. Hare escaped justice and the date of both his birth and death are unknown.

William Burke (1792-1829) and William Hare

Naturally the mysterious house and the fact that Amy has been compared to Daphne du Maurier made me think of the gothic fiction staple Rebecca and the movie ALFRED HITCHCOCK made of it in 1940.

Joan Fontaine and Dame Judith Anderson in ‘Rebecca’ (1940)

Manderley, the brooding house at the centre of ‘Rebecca’

Reviews of CANDLEWICK LANE:

‘I really can't say enough good things about the book. The characters are unique and well developed and I quickly came to care about them, especially the main character, Greer… If ever a book deserved five stars, this is it!’

‘Will meet the needs of any reader who enjoys suspense.’

‘Incredible book that captures you from the start! Although I read an advanced copy, I had to purchase it because I enjoyed it so much. Don't start until you have the time to read straight through! It will captivate you.’

‘A thoroughly delightful and intelligent mystery that moves along briskly. The plot has enough false leads and surprises to hold the reader’s attention.’

‘The haunting beauty of Scotland, and the customs and cuisine of its people, are intricately woven into this well-paced mystery.’

‘With a cast of interesting and well-developed characters, the author had me suspecting just about everyone, and she did a fabulous job of keeping me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.’

‘A satisfying read with everything a reader requires in a great mystery.’

https://www.amazon.com/House-Candlewick-Lane-Malice-Novel-ebook/dp/B01FBZXR3K/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+house+of+candlewick+lane+amy+reade&qid=1561449176&s=books&sr=1-1

and https://www.amazon.co.uk/House-Candlewick-Lane-Malice-Novel-ebook/dp/B01FBZXR3K/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=the+house+on+candlewick+lane+amy+reade&qid=1561451253&s=gateway&sr=8-3

AUTHOR FAVOURITES: FOUR FURLONGS by CAROL CRIGGER

Carol Crigger writes westerns, mysteries and sci-fi/fantasy novels. She’s a 2-time Spur Award finalist, and winner of the EPIC Award in the Western/Historical category.

She tells me a favourite of her own novels is FOUR FURLONGS (written as CAROL WRIGHT KRIGGER) part of her CHINA BOHANNON series.

China works as a bookkeeper for her uncle’s detective agency in Spokane, Washington c. 1900. But when an abused teenager brings her a tale about a murdered brother and a race horse being mistreated, China turns detective herself, plunging into danger in Spokane’s seamy underbelly.

Here’s KATE WARNE, the first female detective we have record of.

Born in New York State in 1833, she went to ALAN PINKERTON, head of the Pinkerton Detective Agency in 1856 to ask for a job as a detective. Pinkerton said "It is not the custom to employ women detectives!" Kate argued that women could be "most useful in worming out secrets in many places which would be impossible for a male detective… Woman would be able to befriend the wives and girlfriends of suspected criminals and gain their confidence… Men become braggarts when they are around women who encourage them to boast." Pinkerton took her on. By 1860, he was so impressed by her abilities he placed Warne in charge of his new Female Detective Bureau.

Pinkerton described her as: ‘[a] commanding person, with clear cut, expressive features ... a slender, brown-haired woman, graceful in her movements and self-possessed.’

Her most famous role was in the so-called ‘Baltimore Plot’ in February 1861, just before the outbreak of the American Civil War. Warne posed as a rich southern lady visiting Baltimore in order to infiltrate social gatherings of secessionist sympathisers. She discovered there was a plot to assassinate President-elect ABRAHAM LINCOLN as his train passed through Baltimore. To escape, Lincoln was forced to disguise himself as an invalid. Kate posed as his brother and helped smuggle him off the train before the assassins struck.  It is said that Kate Warne didn’t sleep while providing a bodyguard role for Lincoln, thus inspiring the Pinkertons motto: ‘we never sleep.'

ALAN PINKERTON with PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN

Kate continued working as a Pinkerton Detective throughout and after the Civil War. In investigating the attempted murder of a CAPTAIN SUMNER and a MRS. PATTMORE, she disguised herself as a fortune teller.

Pinkerton named Kate Warne one of the five best detectives that he had. But her career was cut short at the age of 34 or 35 when, in 1868, she died of ‘congestion of the lungs.’

Kate was played by MARTHA MaCISAAC in the Canadian TV series ‘The Pinkertons.’

The character played by KATHERINE WARREN in the excellent train-bound 1951 thriller ‘The Tall Target’ (about ‘The Baltimore Plot’) is clearly based on Kate Warne.

Reviews of FOUR FURLONGS:

‘Crigger has created an enchanting heroine in China, with just the right amount of courage and vulnerability. Four Furlongs is enjoyable action mystery.’

‘Excellent exciting suspense western.’

‘Great summer read… A delightful period mystery with a charming main character.’

‘A rollicking and absorbing mystery… It's a giddy ride from beginning to end... I was delighted to find a mystery that afforded genuine suspense, laughs, and an authentic setting.'

https://www.amazon.com/Furlongs-China-Bohannon-Wright-Crigger-ebook/dp/B01FT6GVNY/ref=sr_1_2?qid=1550412544&refinements=p_27%3ACarol+Wright+Crigger&s=digital-text&sr=1-2&text=Carol+Wright+Crigger

and https://www.amazon.co.uk/Furlongs-China-Bohannon-Wright-Crigger-ebook/dp/B01FT6GVNY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550412668&sr=8-1&keywords=four+furlongs

AUTHOR FAVOURITES: SOONER THAN GOLD by J. R. LINDERMUTH

John Lindermuth (writing as J. R.) writes across genres. Like me he writes westerns for Sundown Press. He tells me a favourite of his novels is SOONER THAN GOLD, second of his books featuring Sylvester Tilghman, sheriff of a small Pennsylvania town.

It’s 1898, during the Spanish-American War. Tilghman is investigating the murder of a miner. A local band of gypsies claim the victim stole one of their young women. Tilghman is also investigating one of the first instances of auto-theft. As if that wasn’t enough, he also has a run-in with a female horse thief. Meanwhile in his personal life he’s edging closer to his goal of finally marrying long-time girlfriend Lydia Longlow.

A Pennsylvania policeman of the 1890s:

A car of 1900 – a Bradley Gasoline Runabout

I thought I’d take a brief look at Gypsies in this blog, using Wikipedia as a source.

Gypsy is the colloquial term for the Romani/ Roma/ Romany people. The Romani language is divided into several dialects which together have more than two million speakers. 

Genetic findings appear to confirm the Romani "came from a single group that left northwestern India about 1,500 years ago." The English term Gypsy (or Gipsy) originates from ‘gypcian,’ short for ‘Egipcien.’ This comes from the belief, common in the Middle Ages, that the Romani originated in Egypt.

Gypsies are first recorded in Europe in 1322, appearing in Crete. Romani arrived in North America in colonial times, with small groups recorded in Virginia and French Louisiana.

Gypsies in the U.S. c. 1900

There are an estimated 3.8 million Romani people in Europe although some estimates go as high as 14 million. Significant Romani populations are found in the Balkans, Central Europe, Spain, France, Russia and Ukraine. Several million more Romanies live outside Europe, in particular in the Middle East and in the Americas.

As outsiders and itinerants, gypsies have been subject to discrimination and persecution throughout their history. In times of social tension, the Romani became scapegoats. For instance, they were accused of bringing the plague when epidemics broke out.

In England, Romani were sometimes hanged. In France, they were branded and their heads were shaved. In Moravia and Bohemia, the women were marked by their ears being severed.

The worst persecution was by the Nazis, who started by stripping them of German citizenship in 1935 and then embarked on a systematic genocide. Romani were sentenced to forced labour, imprisonment and extermination in concentration camps. They were often killed on sight, especially by paramilitary death squads on the Russian Front.  

Ever after World War Two persecution continued. After 1945 in Czechoslovakia gypsies were labeled a "socially degraded stratum," and Romani women were sterilized as part of a state policy to reduce their population, something that was still occurring up to 2001.

On a lighter note (literally): Many musical instruments like violins and guitars are said to have originated from the Romani, as are dances such as the flamenco of Spain. Romani music has also strongly influenced musical forms like bolero and jazz. 

Acclaimed jazz guitarist DJANGO REINHARDT, of Romani descent, incorporated Romani influences into his music and is regarded as the founder of the hybrid known as ‘gypsy jazz.’

Reviews of SOONER THAN GOLD:

‘Characters are diverse and well-drawn,’

‘This is a sneaky, twisty, fun ride of a mystery.’

‘Kept me guessing. The plot is exciting. Characters are fun. The writing is superb with colorful descriptions and snappy dialogue.’

https://www.amazon.com/Sooner-than-Gold-J-Lindermuth/dp/1610090837/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8